I am sorry to hear that your emotional state is not so good! Perhaps if you don't have a counselor, it would be appropriate to talk with your Dr about being referred to one. Some Medical Practices have them incorporated with the practice - I know my one does, and as a result have been able to access a Psychologist for free (because of financial hardship!) You MUST remember that sometimes our minds play tricks on us, and they aren't pleasant tricks either. You "feel eyes staring...." is YOUR reality, but in actual fact, this more than likely isn't happening at all. While you are feeling like this, you will be held back in many ways. Please think about it!

I am in a state of bewilderment at the moment I think. Desperate to lose weight, but have no motivation whatsoever for doing any exercise. Hate myself and hate the thought of someone as gross as I look seeing me out in public exercising. All my life I have been judged on my looks - by family and sometimes friends. This has scarred me for life really.

People probably don't even notice me when I walk along the beach... but for some reason, I feel eyes staring at me. Feel uneasy about this.

*sigh*

And as for my food intake... up and down really. Most days I am trying to log in what I eat or am about to eat. Most days.

*more sighs*

Not feeling so positive today

"Stay true to yourself!"

and

From a favourite film: "...what if you could go back in time, and take all those hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?"

Thanks Kris, it's getting better all the time. Tomas is nearly 6mths old now,making all sorts of weird and wonderful noises, giggles a lot and is sitting upright by himself. He's a joy to watch and watching John and Alice mature as young adults and parents is fabulous too.

Jude:) (New Zealand)

"Shut out all of your past, except that which will help you weather your tomorrows"- William Oster(canadian physician)

I did REALLY well today UNTIL dinner! I only had 730 Cal's until then, then Hubby and I went for a drive. For the first time in over 2 months we had a take-away. 1/2 share each of a Hamburger and Fish & Chips, then came home - ate 1/2 bar of chocolate, 4 Crostini, Xmas Cake, Apple .....! Oh well, there is always tomorrow, IF tomorrow comes - LOL!

Just popped in to say Merry Christmas to you all. Hope you are all having a wonderful day. My Christmas pressie arrived today in the form of my son... All the way from Australia... I was so excited to see him and it was quite the surprise. Take care, stay safe. Chat soon. Evie

It's really quite humid here - has been increasing as the day has gone on. It's been fairly windy, too! It is very close to raining, now. I'm hoping it does rain because we have had very little the last couple months, and are on rain water, not town supply!

Hi ladies, just dropping in to let you know i'm in the land of the living. What is the weather doing up there Kris? We've had a lot of sunny days and are now due for a week of rain ugh!!! I need to get off my butt and move more i think...Winter wasn't kind to me

Jude:) (New Zealand)

"Shut out all of your past, except that which will help you weather your tomorrows"- William Oster(canadian physician)

How big is your house? Can you afford to buy a cheap treadmill, or hire one for a little while till you have that "fitness level" required for tackling hills?

I had one here for 3 months that the ACC hired for me as part of my rehab plan, and I had it in the lounge which isn't very big. It was really good - I used it EVERY day, and watched TV while doing my walks. You can get the ones that you can put on a recline, and having the varying speeds really works well with helping to build up that level. I THINK they are about $15/week to hire!

Have you tried changing the food GRADUALLY? Only one change at a time? This way you won't actually set yourself up for failure. That comes about when you try to do too much at one time!

Maybe you could look at it that "for lunch I will take a cut lunch to work, and it WILL have a piece of fruit and a couple small snacks in it!" Then just have your normal dinner. Do this for a week or two and THAT could be the first step in getting you on the right track!

I just feel I keep setting myself up for failure.. each time I 'fail' with my eating... and I am STILL not motivated enough to go walking.. I hate hilly areas (which is where I live)... and don't feel I have enough stamina to tackle the hills yet.

Maybe once I am on summer break, I can do my beach walking again - I always loved that.

*sigh*

"Stay true to yourself!"

and

From a favourite film: "...what if you could go back in time, and take all those hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?"

What has been happening that you have been loathing yourself (even more)? Do you have anyone you feel comfortable talking about it with? You know that you can share here - or message one of us if you prefer!

So I have already tracked for tomorrow and Tuesday (then once I am paid on Wednesday, I'll organise the rest of my week after our mid week grocery shop).

Tim (my son) and I went walking today... a little hilly and some flats.. so a good walk. And it was nice for him and I to have that time together... wow, he can 'chatter' lol. Ah the enthusiasm of youth!! hehe

WIll hopefully take at least another 2 x 30 minute walks this coming week... then I have the school holidays.. so aiming at walking a lot.. especially down at Milford Beach) my favourite place to walk).

(hoping for this!!!)

"Stay true to yourself!"

and

From a favourite film: "...what if you could go back in time, and take all those hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?"

Kris, sometimes I just can't stomach breakfast at a certain time of the morning. But I have been trying to make myself have two pieces of Vogels toast with peanut butter on it (no butter) as I want a protein/carb breakfast to set me up for the day. Often I'll add a banana in also.

Evie, you are so good with your walking! My son and I went for a 30 minutes walk.. but ooh I now have blisters because of the shoes I wore. Ah well! It was a nice walk anyway.

"Stay true to yourself!"

and

From a favourite film: "...what if you could go back in time, and take all those hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?"

Hi Ladies, It's been a while since I got on here. Kelly you are doing great with your weight lose. And you seem so positive about everything. You Rock!! Kris has been giving you great tips. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And I can't do any exercise without eating first. With Spring about to arrive in the Southern Hemisphere it has to be a great motivator. Fall is almost here in the Northwest. The mornings are cooler and the weather has been terrible for summer. Lots of rain. I'm still walking with the group. And today was very hard since I have sore feet and legs. It probably didn't help that yesterday I did a lower body work out. I'll remember in future to do upper body only before a big walk. I'm pleased today is done. 4 weeks and I will do my Marathon and then I will take a break. Anyway I'm off for tonight. I hear my bed calling me! Take care everyone and I'll chat soon. Evie

Is it that you don't have enough time to make something when you get up, or that you just don't like eating in the a.m. This is really setting you up for really bad choices with WHAT and HOW MUCH you eat the rest of the day.

If you don't mind Rolled Oats, why don't you get an individual sachet box - already portion controlled, and there are heaps of different ones. My daughter gets them with CHOCOLATE mix, even!! Chuck it into the Microwave when you are getting dressed. Just add a little less water, and then mix in a little milk when you get it out to cool it, and add a little more calcium/protein to the mix. Add to that a tub of yoghurt and/or a piece of apple or something you can eat on the way and Bob's your Uncle!!

It took me a very long time to start eating breakfast YEARS ago. I would often get to early/mid a/noon and realise I hadn't had anything to eat or drink at all! (possibly why my metabalism stuffed up in the first place), and someone said I should start with maybe a piece of toast - dry if need be - or a couple round wine biscuits, and gradually go from there. I got into the habit of putting some food into my mouth and over time I was able to increase it until I could eat a proper breakfast. Now they are quite a reasonable size, and it doesn't take long! I have found that Rolled Oats and a Bobby Banana along with a cuppa are all I need - usually until lunch time but I am not starving at that time.

I don't think I have done so well this week.... haven't been eating breakfast each morning like I should be... not having enough lunch I think.... also, am eating when I get home from work... and still have to work on my portion control at dinnertime.

damn me!!

"Stay true to yourself!"

and

From a favourite film: "...what if you could go back in time, and take all those hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?"

Weigh time this morning, and I have LOST another 1.1kgs! YAY!!! So thrilled with this! I have been trying of course, and I do also put such a large loss down to my TOTM ending AND the metformin I am taking!

Very happy!

112.6kgs now. Still a loooooong way to go, but I am 'on my way'!

"Stay true to yourself!"

and

From a favourite film: "...what if you could go back in time, and take all those hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?"

Well with TTOTM nearly over, I am dying to hop onto the scales to pre-weigh myself (my weigh in day is Saturday morning).

I am a little disappointed in myself as I didn't track my food intake yesterday and had double portions of dinner - Geoff had cooked such a tasty and low-fat curry, and I hadn't had a proper lunch, hence I was ravenous so ate two helpings at dinner time... grr!

Obviously with planning and tracking, I eat better, especially during the day which stops me from eating too much after work and for dinner. Portion control for me is still a problem! Must work on that!

"Stay true to yourself!"

and

From a favourite film: "...what if you could go back in time, and take all those hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?"

Way to go with the weightloss! We KNOW you can do this, and I have a feeling that you do, now, too:-)

Is your partner adventurous with food? Sometimes just a hint of balsamic vinegar in a meat dish reduces the "need" for the fats to be added and lifts it to another dimension! Obviously it depends on how he cooks it, but asian cooking and casserole-type stuff lend themselves VERY favourably to it. Just a TAD of it!

I got my 20 minutes walking in today - putting a few bits of laundry away one at a time, and then straight after when I got a phone call so I just continued walking briskly around the house:-)

Well, end of my first week on this new lifestyle for me, and I lost 900gms. I am rather chuffed with myself.

Also, Geoff (my partner and he is the main cook in our household) has been really supportive and cooking with less fatty ingredients.. and even our best friends last night whom we see regularly for drinks and nibbles, brought over low-fat nibbles... seafoods instead of salamis, etc.

Very cool!

Now, I just have to do more walking!

"Stay true to yourself!"

and

From a favourite film: "...what if you could go back in time, and take all those hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?"

Thanks for all your advice and words of wisdom, Kris. You are always such a motivating person!

Thank you.

Ooh and with the giving up of wine being a 'challenge' for me.. I meant it moreso that because we are rather social - have dinner parties and drinks often with friends, that is why it will be a challenge... hehe.... I can definitely do without alcohol in my life!!

"Stay true to yourself!"

and

From a favourite film: "...what if you could go back in time, and take all those hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?"

Metformin can be VERY helpful and also the walking. The two together can go a long way to help you with your issues. Where it comes to the Red Wine, have you thought about not only using a smaller glass, but also start with having "flavoured water" every other one! You can use water with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, and put about 20% Zero Carb lemonade in it - it is actually quite nice and can help you to reduce! Not the calories, either! If you find the stop drinking a challenge, you can contact CADS - Takapuna has a branch, and get help that way. I go, but because of hubby's drinking, and they are really good, AND free AND confidential!

Saw my doctor on Friday - my health hasn't been so great (mental and physical)... so as part of 'healing' me, I have been placed on the drug Metformin. Apparently this helps hinder Type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovaries, etc. And also, it makes me fatty food intolerant!

My doctor wants me to go walking around 30 minutes per day; but sometimes that can't happen due to everything else happening in my life. And I don't really fancy the idea of walking in the dark at night time. So I shall walk when I can... just have to motivate myself to 'get out there'! Some walking is better than no walking!

She has also told me to stop drinking alcohol. I do love my red wines... so this will be a challenge for me!

"Stay true to yourself!"

and

From a favourite film: "...what if you could go back in time, and take all those hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?"

This ISN'T about total deprivation - we ARE allowed to have the occasional blow-out. I actually find that to accomodate them, if you eat at the lower end of the calorie scale most of the time, then you can have a good calorie blow-out once in a while and overall you are still within your calorie range if you average it out! Just so long as it IS occasional :-)

Hi Ladies, How's it going Kelly? Are you managing to keep on track? I know it's hard to keep going when the weather outside is crappy but you can do it!! The weather is very weird for summer. Cloudy mornings but sunny afternoons. I did another 1/2 marathon yesterday. Great weather for walking, although it was a little cool. My next 1/2 marathon I'll be 50!! And with the training for the marathon there are not many weekends that we won't be walking 13+ miles. I'm doing it!! Chat later. Evie

Hi Everyone, A Balmy 31C = 87F today. I am so happy that Summer has finally arrived. Tomorrow 4 of us girls are walking 15 miles. We are leaving early in the morning so that is a plus. And I have been stuck on 137 pounds for a few weeks now. I think it's time to step it up and get on the treadmill 1-2 times a week. I'm eating to make up for the calories burned... Maybe eating too much!! Chat later. Evie

Hi Everyone, How's it going? I hear you about exercise over winter. It is the hardest time to lose weight, and I put it on every year. The winters here are so much colder than when I lived in Napier. I won't walk outside unless I wear Yak Tracks with the snow and ice. And I don't walk far, just to break ice for the dogs to go potty. I prefer to keep warm and safe! Summer has sort of arrived here finally. I am out doing miles with the group each weekend. And building up to do another marathon in October. No weight lose here either.... Mmmm think I should cut down on calories... Eat more salad, fruit & veggies. No excuses for me... It's all in season NOW! Chat later. Evie

Slim Kiwi, goodness, oh to eat less in winter. I will try the hot milk & see what happens. In summer, I GUZZLE cold water & it seems criminal to eat hot foods. Just as it seems strange to eat salad in winter.

I know the proteins work well. Eggs, tuna etc. I had a diet book written my an Aussie chick,('Liver cleansing diet') who shall remain nameless..b/c I really can't remember her name!!! anyway, she did a good balance of carbs & prot & I really liked it.

So for lunch I just had wholemeal toast with 2 poached eggs. She is anti dairy (which I couldn't do), but I did have a little marge. I also like sardines & tuna (no red meat, tho I did have it), so it worked well for me.

I guess too, it's the cold. I have moved from Rotorua to Whakatane & it's certainly warmer! However, that lazy part of me makes every excuse when it's not particularly nice out there. I have trashed the treadmill, so don't wana do inside stuff.

I just need liposuction, a gastric bypass or even a lap band would go down well. BUT @ 81kg..I don't qualify. I have put on almost 10kg...sucky!

For me the challenge is to keep exercising especially when it is cold....it is soooo much easier to go for a walk on a sunny day than it is on acold windy day!!!. I am sure I will achieve my goals this winter but will certainly be aware that it is achallenge.....

LYN EST +19 hours NZ zone

The No S Diet is the most amazing program I have come across.... nosdiet.com

Instead of the "eating" to keep warm in winter, try having a hot milky drink. I get away with about 75 mls of soy milk in ecco or at night-time a hot chocolate (without sugar) and that takes place of food with the higher calories.

Also, as an alternative, if you make the soups yourself, try adding a little more water and then use the liquid part of the soup as a Consommι - even LESS calories and rather yummy.

I actually find it easier to eat LESS calories in winter. My dietician was intrigued when I mentioned this to her, but I have A LOT of documented proof of 3 years' worth of daily records to support my claim. I think in part because in the winter I drink more hot drinks - Ecco, so with my Soy Milk AND the ecco, it is only about 30 calories and helps to reduce hunger whereas the summer I don't drink it much and so don't have that side effect. ALSO, in the summer I am awake longer usually so require more food.

Yep, winter is the time where I tend to eat more to try to keep warm, comfort food on blah days, etc.

I just need to motivate myself though - not so much with food (although my eating patterns and food choices are crap!), but moreso with exercise. I just cannot seem to find motivation on getting out and about and even going for a walk. I know I enjoy fresh air and walking... and so when I don't go out for one, I 'beat myself up' because of it... get down about it... and well, it becomes a vicious cycle.

*sigh*

"Stay true to yourself!"

and

From a favourite film: "...what if you could go back in time, and take all those hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?"

And Kris.. WOW, thanks for all of that advice and information. I live near to the pharmacy you mentioned, so I can pop in some time this coming weekend to buy the items you mentioned.

And yes, small tins of tuna and rice crackers are often my lunch at work because they are quick and easy... and tasty... love them!

I don't eat enough fruit though... I love it.. but never get around to eating it... mandarins are a favourite though... and bananas... so I must get some in my next grocery shop! I am more of a veggie girl though!

Anyway, again, thanks so much for all your words.

"Stay true to yourself!"

and

From a favourite film: "...what if you could go back in time, and take all those hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?"

The other thing that you can do is when you buy your groceries, ensure that you get some frozen meals for putting in your freezer to times like this. Those Wattie's Frozen meals are good and if you eat smaller quantities than that, the Pam's or Watties, or McCain's types of "snack" meals are good also. Just add a piece of fruit and a small can of creamed rice or similar to go with it. Also, those cans of Steak and Vegetable Casseroles are quite good - you can add it to a good quality wholegrain toast or microwave a bit of broccoli or something as well. You CAN do this.

Why wouldn't you have gotten a lunch break? Are you able to actually eat WHILE you work if you haven't the time to walk away. Having some options at work are good. I used to take a little can of flavoured Tuna Sensations and a little container of frozen rice (cooked it myself and froze in small portions) and a piece of fruit is good for work. Too bad about the smell from the Tuna :-) you will find that NOT eating during the day, or not eating properly, will totally zap your energy for later. Another thing you could try is go to a pharmacy and get some containers of Ensure or Fortesip. They come in various flavours like Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana and Vanilla (not sure if others) and are good for an occasional meal replacement, but they don't have the fibre. They are what are often prescribed to sick people for good nutrition when they have problems with eating, but are not meant as a "3 meal a day, 7 day a week" replacement. BUT it will ensure that you have a real good balance of nutrients daily. They don't need to be chilled until the are opened, but the are bought in single serve containers anyway so that shouldn't be a problem. Good for storing at work for emergencies. They vary in price depending on the Pharmacy, but are generally around the $3.00 mark. I have found that the North Shore Hospital Pharmacy to be cheaper than other places. Good luck. Kris

Kelly, If you made yourself a healthy dinner, then that in itself deserves a pat on the back. Next time you do groceries, stock up on some fruit,nuts,or a box of nutragrain...all of these are good healthy snacks you can keep on stand-by for those busy days at work or even some up and go's would be good for these situations.

Jude:) (New Zealand)

"Shut out all of your past, except that which will help you weather your tomorrows"- William Oster(canadian physician)

Sometimes it is a case of finding what works for you. For me, it was weighing all of my food and entering it into the Nutrition Tracker. It may seem time-consuming, but it isn't.

Look at my weight ticker. I lost that purely by decreasing my calories (and I was already eating in a healthy range anyway) and I never increased the exercise but only because of skeletal problems, BUT I DO exercise - just not the recommended amount. Anyway, it HAS worked, but it is a case of sticking with it!

Instead of buying lunch (unless you are having a Subway without the dressings/cheeses/bacon) which you can put into your nutrition tracker, try making some nice ones and taking with you. You can bulk make things like healthy pizza and cut/freeze and grab/take with you. There are lots of things you can do dietetically which won't seem like any effort but your clothes, the scales and your body will thank you for.

Allow yourself one day per fortnight to eat whatever you want - that will help with any craving/binging. Remember also, that if you drink any alcohol, that has to be factored in and is quite high in calories, but not nutrients.

You CAN do this, but you need to have faith in your own abilities! It IS doable!

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